Bilateral, locked, recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation: case report

Bilateral anterior dislocation of the shoulder is a rare condition. Most of the cases are seen as posterior dislocations which generally occur during diffuse tonic-clonic contractions of epileptic seizures or after being exposed to strong electric shock. In this article, we report a 21-year-old epileptic patient who had severe bilateral shoulder pain and joint restriction. Diagnoses of bilateral, locked, anterior shoulder dislocation and Hill-Sachs lesions were made with shoulder X-rays and computed tomography. Arthroscopic Bankart repair and remplissage technique were applied in surgical treatment of both shoulders. Posterior dislocations of shoulder usually occur during epileptic seizures but anterior dislocations are rare in the literature. This may lead to delay in diagnosis. Computed tomography scan may be helpful in making diagnosis in uncertain patients. It should not be forgotten that recurrent anterior dislocations may be seen in epileptic patients. Such dislocations should be followed up regularly and instability must be treated to prevent excessive damage to the shoulder.